How'd they do that?

I have to write an article by noon today on atom smashers. And tomorrow, I'm covering light propulsion, but I have a degree in American literature.

Thank goodness for www. howstuffworks.com.

HowStuffWorks is a collection of cool articles that explain everything under the sun. Actually, the feature about how the sun works is pretty cool, too. The site strives to make all the technology clear and understandable. Each article contains links to explanations of underlying technologies, information on related topics, and a biography of the author.

You know that cool yellow stripe that appears on the first-down line during televised football games? The site has a great article explaining the computer system that keeps it from tripping the players.

And there's a really interesting article on how car engines work, complete with moving diagrams of internal combustion. Cell phones, dieting, serial ports, fuses—It's all there! The next time you need an explanation, check it out.

A few weeks ago, Ford Motor Co. quietly announced that it was rolling out a new wrinkle to the powerful safety feature called stability control, adding even more lifesaving potential to a technology that has already been very successful.

It won't be too much longer and hardware design, as we used to know it, will be remembered alongside the slide rule and the Karnaugh map. You will need to move beyond those familiar bits and bytes into the new world of software centric design.

People who want to take advantage of solar energy in their homes no longer need to install a bolt-on solar-panel system atop their houses -- they can integrate solar-energy-harvesting shingles directing into an existing or new roof instead.

Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.